Sunday, December 19, 2010

Underwater Grace

What is it about water that makes things look so graceful? The Royal Ballet's photo shoot for the production of Ondine was shot under water. The ballet is tale of a water nymph who is the object of desire of a young prince named Palemon created by Frederick Ashton.

These posters are a stunning and creative way of promoting the ballet, emphasizing what ballet is all about at the same time as capturing the beauty and ethereal side to ballet! I think this is one of Royal Ballet's most stunning and successful photo shoots they've done.

A photo shoot that reminds me of the Royal Ballet's Ondine is a photo shoot for Staatsballett masterpiece Das Flammende HerzWladimir Malakhov.

These photos again capture a quiet still presence full of grace and beauty! Water seems to be able to complement so well what ballet is, full of grace and beauty. It creates this ethereal and dream like world...what many ballets also create!

It looks like some other people have been inspired by what underwater photo shoots can create!!!

1. What was it like to be a model for them, what was the day like, busy, exciting, tiring ect?

It was quite a busy experience modelling for wear moi, but I really enjoyed it. We started very early in the morning in hair and make up, but it was nice to have someone else do it for me this time. They provided us with lunch and were really nice and easy to work with. It was also nice to be involved with a group of people who are related to the dance world, but not necessarily dancers.
2. How long did the photo shoot last for?

The photo shoot lasted 2 days.

3. Where was the shoot based, location wise?

The photo shoot was based in Marseille in the south of France. I flew there the day before, was there for the 2 days of work and then flew back to Madrid.

4. How did they ask you to be a model for them and what kind of style were they wanting for the shoots, powerful, dynamic, graceful ect.?

The photographer that did the shoot with us is actually Spanish, and he had been photographing class and a performance here in Spain, so I guess he sent a photo of me to wear moi and they seemed to like it so they asked me if I would be interested to do it.
I think that they were looking for a different dynamic depending on what leotard/outfit we were wearing in each photo.
5. Were you able to keep the dance gear?

I didn't keep anything from the shoot but they did give me a nice gift voucher for me to spend on what ever I liked on their online store. They are also developing a new pointe shoe at the moment and have been sending me samples so that I can help them by giving them any advice I can.

6. Finally do you wear some of their gear and shoes normally?

I am trying out their pointe shoes at the moment. I also have a number of warm-up sets from there and a nice bag that I use for shoes.

Thanks to Tracy for being a part of this blog, all the best to her dance career!

Monday, December 13, 2010

As ballet dancer's we strive to achieve the best physique and the best lines. We will do anything to achieve that, but do we go too far and push our bodies to limits which become dangerous!?

Ballet is no doubt a very extreme form of movement for the body and it is said that ballet is ranked higher then contact sports (like football and hockey) for injury occurrence. We get used to dancing on injuries and suffering through the pain. In many cases, dancers feel pressurised to continue on dancing when clearly they are at risk of further damaging their bodies just so they can keep their jobs! I wonder if this problem is as bad in some areas of sport.

These haunting images of some Russian ballet dancers and gymnastics is sadly reality. I have to say as a former ballet dancer I love to see a thin athletic and flexible dancer...I love to see the muscles ripple and the amble thin body create exaggerated lines but looking at these photos you can't help but question...is this really healthy for the body!

We are all different and have very dfferent bodies. Some dancers find it easy for their bodies, where some find it more difficult but the same is asked of us whether we can do it or not. Do we sacrifice too much to get the best dancer's physique? Do we only think of the now and not of the consequences that we are building up for the future. I most certainly did, I sacrificed a lot when I was dancing professionally, dancing on injuries when I should have stopped and pushing my body to the limits and now four years out of the dance world I still have pain from my dance injuries! The crazy thing is I would not change what I did....is that the thing, do we do anything to achieve our goal because it's our dream!!?? What do you think, would love to hear your views....

Sunday, December 12, 2010

I saw this video on a website - http://movingspaceproductions.com and thought it was beautifully filmed. The video is trying to show the real life as a ballet dancer. Many young girls and boys dream of being a ballerina but they don't know what it takes to be one! As dancers I'm sure you had the same dream, question is is all that effort worth it? I would say yes!!

Friday, December 10, 2010

Amelia by Human Steps Lalala
reposted by stinger because I Love to Dance With My Mate
and Know good what is meaning pas de deux

First of all, the name of this ballet movie is "Amelia" and it is performed by the dance company "La La La Human Steps". It is choreographed using mostly classical ballet forms, most notably pointe work(the choreographer and producer, Edouard Lock, really loves pointe work!) and pas de deux, although other groupings are included and the men dance in the usual way, with one exception: there is a pas de deux with a man and a woman, both dressed as men and both on pointe! The costumes are typical of modern dance, the woman wear leotards and the men wear pants and jackets. Amelia is freely adapted from a stage production of the same same, but this is first and foremost a dance-for-camera movie, where the camera becomes an integral part of the action, using shots of many different angles, and rotation, dolly, and crane shots. The dance space itself is quite interesting and is difficult to describe, but it looks a little like the inside of a ceramic vase. The lighting is also very intricate. The action is mostly very fast and frenetic, and the choreography is very challenging including some very difficult steps, both on the floor and in the air.
This is a two disc set, the first disk is the ballet itself and includes an optional commentary, and rehearsal footage(accessed in interactive mode). The second disc is a little tricky. It includes printed facts on productions, biographies, and awards of the dance company. On some of the production boards, there is a media section with either one or two icons. The icon to the left is for still images and the icon to the right is for video clips, so be careful not to miss those features as I did the first few times!
If you like ultra-modern ballet, you should enjoy this. by M.J.

small talk

About Me

Hey guys,
I'm Olivia...currently in my third year of a BA honors in Graphic Design at the University of Gloucestershire. I live and breath design/creativity!I am an ex professional ballet dancer which has probably given me the passion for beautiful lines and detail. Thanks for visiting my blog and I hope you enjoy my work and what inspires me!